i892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



240 



RANDOM NOTES ON BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



BY JOHN E. ROBSON. 



PoLYOMMATus Artaxerxes WITH FouR White Spots. — Mr, 

 Barrett has a paragraph in the " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine " 

 for September (p. 245), in reference to this variety which appears to 

 be new to him. The specimen in question, formerly in the collection 

 of the late John Sang, was taken in this district. Hie white spots 

 on the hind wings were more distinct than on any specimen I have 

 taken here myself. It occasionally occurs however with a trace of white, 

 sometimes only a single white scale. In Scotland this form is of much 

 more frequent occurrence. I have one in my collection taken near 

 Aberdeen last year, in which the white spots on the hind wing are 

 well developed, and others from the same district showing it less 

 distinctly. I also have it from Galashiels with the same peculiarity. 

 Mr. Barrett also has it from the County of Fife. It is to be observed 

 of this little butterfly, that as we get further north we find the ten- 

 dency to substitute white scales for black, both at the discoidal spot 

 on the upper side, and in the centre of the white spots beneath. 

 Corydon sometimes has a bluish white spot in the upper side, but I 

 never saw one without black centres to the spots below. Have any 

 other LyccBiia this tendency ? 



Syricthus Alveus Hb., in England. - Another British Butter- 

 fly. Mr. Barrett has discovered specimens of Syricthus alveus in the 

 collection of the Rev. I. H. Marsh, of Cowston, Norfolk. Observing 

 that the series over the name Alveolus were larger than any he had 

 seen before, Mr. Barrett compared a pair of them which Mr. Mar-sh 

 gave him, with European species of the genus, and was puzzled for a 

 time whether they were Serratulce or Alveus, deciding finally that they 

 were Alveus ; but as Mr. Barrett points out, the doubt was not to be 

 wondered at, as Continental Entomologists are undecided vv^hether 

 ScrratutcB is or is not, a variety of Alveus. The specimens were taken 

 in a damp open valley, bordering a wood, in the captor's own district, 

 but believing they were the common species, no special notice was 

 taken of the occurence, but it is thought to have been in May or June, 

 eighteen or twenty years ago. None have been observed since, but 

 possibly they have scarcely been looked for. Fuller details will be 

 found in the " Entomologist's Monthly Magazine " for September 

 (p. 244). 



Since the above was written, the specimens have been exhibited 

 at a meeting of the Entomological Society, and it is there suggested 

 that they were captured about the year i860. It will be worth while 

 for Entomologists to examine their series of Alveolus, and to submit 

 any large or peculiarly marked specimens to one who collects European 

 butterflies, as it is quite possible specimens of this species or even 



